$10 is $10, Don’t be afraid to get more VALUE for your dollar

The majority of patients that we see in our Broomfield clinic have vision or medical insurance that covers their examinations. For those of you that are fortunate enough to have insurance, allow me to help you think about your healthcare dollars in a different light. Here is an example: Let’s say that your co-pay for your exam is $10. You should know that this rate is determined by the plan that you or your employer selects. The doctor does not and cannot control this amount. That being said, once you have contracted with your plan for the year, you also give up control of this amount. The advantage you have is that no matter where you go, your copay will be the same. Therefore, may I suggest that you choose to spend your healthcare dollars where you will receive the most VALUE. You don’t have to put up with poor service or a receptionist that puts you on hold for 15 minutes. You don’t have to put up with an automated phone tree. You don’t have to put up with walking through the tire section of a big box retailer before reaching your eye doctor. For the same $10, you can have convenient online scheduling, a professional office environment dedicated to eye care featuring state of the art equipment, a large selection of eyewear and contact lenses on site with a doctor that is not restricted to fitting certain lenses due to restrictions from a large corporation. You will get this premium level of care in a private practice. Furthermore, you will be doing your part to keep your health care dollars local and in your own community. You will be doing your part to support small business. You will be choosing to partner with a healthcare provider that believes a relationship with you is worth more than the bottom line. I say this because I occasionally hear that some patients believe my office will be more expensive than big-box retailers simply because we have a nice office. Not true folks. Your insurance will reimburse me the same fee as the doctor down the street with brown shag carpeting and wooden panels on the wall. I choose to invest these dollars back in you. I choose to provide a pleasant environment for myself and staff to work in and for my patients and their families to visit. If that comes at a cost to me, I am okay with that. Please consider choosing a health care provider that is not afraid to invest money in their practice. I am a self proclaimed gadget junky so I have fancier equipment than many eye doctors. Guess what friends, just because I have this does not mean that I charge you more or get more from your insurance company…we all are paid the same. Nevertheless, I believe that we need many of these technologically savvy devices to provide the highest level of care. If you would pay the same $10 to see a primary care physician with or without a stethoscope or blood pressure cuff, wouldn’t you choose the one who has the devices designed to elevate the level of care you receive? And while I will not downplay the importance of these vital instruments, I am still a firm believer that the best “tool” I have is my ears. Listening is the best diagnostic tool in my armamentarium and that comes from a health care provider that is not afraid to invest time in you. So, use your health care dollars wisely to make conscious decisions about where you want to receive your health care. You make these decisions with most of your other dollars, don’t be afraid to demand value for the dollars you spend on your eyes. This philosophy applies across all specialties of healthcare and the landscape of service in the healthcare environment is changing. Where you go and where you choose to spend your $10 will dictate the direction of this change.